1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for influencing the articulation angle between the longitudinal axes of neighboring car bodies of a multiple-unit railway vehicle traveling on a track and a railway vehicle for the implementation of this method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To influence the articulation angle between the longitudinal axes of adjacent car bodies of a multiple unit railway vehicle traveling on a track, the prior art (DE 28 54 776 A1) teaches that the torsion of the longitudinal axis of a car body is measured with respect to the corresponding truck, and as a function of said measurement, a system of actuators in the form of hydraulically pressurized cylinders is controlled by means of a control unit. This system of actuators acts electrically on the control unit and mechanically between the ends of the neighboring car bodies that are connected to one another by means of a single center pivot. The system of actuators is controlled so that the two-axle trucks, which do not have a truck center pin and on which the car bodies are supported by means of elastic secondary springs, are completely freed of the function of force dispensers, and the wear of the wheel flanges and the rails is significantly reduced. In this case, when the train is traveling on a straight section of track, the system of actuators blocks the center pivot in one position over the center of the track, and when the train rounds a curve, forces the center pivot to buckle toward the outside of the curve of the track. The purpose of this restricted excursion is to achieve an improved utilization of the clearance when the railway vehicle is traveling around a curve.
One disadvantage of this arrangement and method is that it requires a permanent and restricted control of the center pivot, because the forces resulting from the buckling must be completely isolated from the truck.